Orange County Focus

COUNTYWIDE : Colleges to Target Kindergartners

When 2,000 kindergartners converged on the Rancho Santiago College campus March 31 as part of an event to inspire youths to strive for a higher education, other college campuses took note.

The event, KinderCaminata, will be duplicated at Fullerton and Golden West colleges. Officials at both institutions said they too want the youngest elementary-school children to begin thinking about a college degree and professional job as early as possible.

Families and educators who attended or heard of the first KinderCaminata are still talking about it, organizers of the event said. It was created and organized by Los Amigos of Orange County, a group that promotes Latino empowerment.

About 100 people, including college employees and presidents, teachers, parents, students, school district trustees and a representative of the Mexican Consulate, last week watched a 25-minute documentary on KinderCaminata, which took place on the birthday of the late labor leader Cesar Chavez.

The film focused on the children, who participated in a half-kilometer walk chanting "Si se puede" (yes it can be done) and learned about professions to consider. The purpose of the event is to emphasize that a college education is within any child's reach and to instill a sense of the importance of education.